Aside from an official ceremony headed by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to mark the 67th anniversary of the 228 Incident, several civic groups have organized various events across the country to commemorate it today.
The 228 Incident refers to a crackdown launched by the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime against civilian demonstrations in 1947, following an incident in Taipei on Feb. 27.
Estimates of the casualties range from thousands to tens of thousands, but the exact figure remains unknown.
The official memorial is to be held in Hualien, with Ma presenting a certificate of restoration of honor for 228 victim Sung Chun-lan (宋春蘭) to his son Sung Heng-hsiung (宋恒雄). Meanwhile, members of the Eastern Taiwan Society are working with National Dong Hwa University students to organize their own activity, including a concert at the university campus in Hualien in the evening.
In Taipei, the Awakened Citizens’ Alliance and the Alliance of Civics Teachers are to stage a rally from 2pm to 6pm outside the Ministry of Education to protest proposed high-school curriculum guideline reforms. The groups are concerned that the new guidelines are an attempt to force sinocentric ideologies upon students.
In the south, the Southern Taiwan Society, the Praxis in the South Cultural Association and the Taiwan Association of University Professors, together with several student organizations from National Tainan Girls’ Senior High School, National Cheng Kung University and National Pingtung University of Education, are to hold an exhibition commemorating 228 victims. The exhibition opens at noon, and a candlelight vigil is to be held from 7:30pm to 8pm today. Both events are to be held at Cheng Kung University’s Nan Jung Square (南榕廣場).
PEACE AND STABILITY: Maintaining the cross-strait ‘status quo’ has long been the government’s position, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Taiwan is committed to maintaining the cross-strait “status quo” and seeks no escalation of tensions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, rebutting a Time magazine opinion piece that described President William Lai (賴清德) as a “reckless leader.” The article, titled “The US Must Beware of Taiwan’s Reckless Leader,” was written by Lyle Goldstein, director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank. Goldstein wrote that Taiwan is “the world’s most dangerous flashpoint” amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said that the situation in the Taiwan Strait has become less stable
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday lavished US President Donald Trump with praise and vows of a “golden age” of ties on his visit to Tokyo, before inking a deal with Washington aimed at securing critical minerals. Takaichi — Japan’s first female prime minister — pulled out all the stops for Trump in her opening test on the international stage and even announced that she would nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize, the White House said. Trump has become increasingly focused on the Nobel since his return to power in January and claims to have ended several conflicts around the world,
REASSURANCE: The US said Taiwan’s interests would not be harmed during the talk and that it remains steadfast in its support for the nation, the foreign minister said US President Donald Trump on Friday said he would bring up Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) during a meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in South Korea this week. “I will be talking about Taiwan [with Xi],” Trump told reporters before he departed for his trip to Asia, adding that he had “a lot of respect for Taiwan.” “We have a lot to talk about with President Xi, and he has a lot to talk about with us. I think we’ll have a good meeting,” Trump said. Taiwan has long been a contentious issue between the US and China.
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
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